This invention relates to the assembly of an aircraft, and, more specifically, to a system for installing an engine onto an aircraft.
Assembly of an aircraft is a very complex process. Many of the components of an aircraft are very heavy and very expensive. In addition, the aircraft must be assembled with precision to ensure the parts are not damaged, have proper function, and have long lives. Therefore, specialized tools and fixtures are often used to assist with specific portions of the assembly process. These tools do not end up remaining on the aircraft after assembly is complete, so they are often simple mechanisms with very limited functions.
One example of such a tool is an engine hoist that is used to install the engines of an aircraft. A traditional hoist lifts the engine vertically upward off of a trolley, and positions the engine such that it can be attached to the aircraft. To avoid damaging the parts, no aircraft component can occupy the space through which the engine passes at the time the engine is being moved from the trolley to the final mounting position. Therefore, the certain parts of the engine and/or the aircraft may need to be partially disassembled prior to the mounting of the engine. Such disassembly (and subsequent reassembly) takes time and reduces the efficiency of the aircraft assembly process.